In fact, it's been out for most of the season. If defensive linemen can't get to him on the pass rush, all they have to do is raise their arms and swat the ball out of the air.

Defenders bat Weeden's passes as though he was 4-foot-6, not 6-foot-4. The Redskins' linemen got their hands on four more passes Sunday.

While trying to explain everything that went wrong in the 38-21 loss at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Weeden said pass routes called have contributed to 21 of his passes being knocked down at the line. The plays called prohibit him from always throwing the ball over the defensive line.

"Most of them are underneath throws," Weeden said. "They're throws that are at the line of scrimmage or 2 or 3 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

"When those defensive linemen are reading me, if they are not going to put pressure on me, they just kind of stand there, watch my eyes, and then stick their arms up. I'm trying to throw over those guys 3 yards down field. That can be challenging. I'm 6-foot-4, but they're 6-foot-4 or taller."

Weeden said he never had so many batted down when he was at Oklahoma State.

The Redskins were credited with six pass breakups, including those knocked away by defensive backs. By contrast, the Browns got to only three of Kirk Cousins' 37 passes. Two were broken up by cornerback Joe Haden and one by safety T.J. Ward.

Batted passes are obviously reflected in Weeden's completion percentage. He completed 21 of 35 Sunday for 244 yards. He was sacked twice and hurried two other times. He has completed 57.2 percent (285 of 498) of his passes this season.

Coach Pat Shurmur calls the plays. He admitted the play selection contributes to the weekly swat fest.

"We throw a lot of shallow crossing concepts," Shurmur said. "We throw the ball on the interior of the defense quite a bit. There are times when the rush gets stymied and then they just stop and put their hands up. I can't say that's always the case, but that's a couple things you can write about."

There will be plenty more to write about if the Browns finish the season by losing in Denver and Pittsburgh.